Drone’s Day ScenariosAn invasion of unmanned aerial vehicles—drones to you—is on its way, but these flying robots are here to help, not enslave the human race. (At least, that’s what they say at Penn’s pioneering GRASP Lab, where some of the most sophisticated ones are being created.) By David Wolman

The TransformerHe turned an abandoned stretch of elevated rail tracks on Manhattan’s lower West Side from an eyesore to a treasured urban amenity, and put playing fields and green space where a garbage dump taller than the Statue of Liberty once sprawled. Now Penn Design alumnus and professor James Corner is creating a modern-day pleasure garden on the site of London’s Summer Olympics.
By Alyson Krueger

The Case of S. Weir MitchellHe’s now remembered, if at all, for a misguided “rest cure” that inspired an iconic piece of early feminist fiction, but in his day alumnus and longtime University trustee S. Weir Mitchell found fame in several fields—as a noted surgeon and physician, a leading medical researcher, and a best-selling author. By Dennis Drabelle

From Brand to Role ModelLess than a decade after launching her own label, Tory Burch C’88 is one of the most recognizable names in fashion. Through mentoring and microloans, the Tory Burch Foundation is empowering other women entrepreneurs to follow in her footsteps.
By Kathryn Levy Feldman

Van Pelt at 50Five decades on, the University’s central library is still doing the job. Text by John Prendergast
Photos by Greg Benson